CVE-2026-72712: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop') in Nmap Project Nmap
Nmap versions up to and including 7.99 contains a denial of service vulnerability that allows remote attackers to crash the application by sending a crafted packet containing a zero-length TCP option. The malformed packet forces the Packet:parse_options() function in nselib/packet.lua to allocate objects in an infinite loop, causing an out-of-memory condition that results in application crash.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-72712 is a denial of service vulnerability in Nmap up to version 7.99. Remote attackers can send a specially crafted packet containing a zero-length TCP option that causes the Packet:parse_options() function in nselib/packet.lua to enter an infinite loop allocating objects. This results in an out-of-memory condition and crashes the application. The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction but can be triggered remotely over the network.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation results in denial of service by crashing the Nmap application due to resource exhaustion from an infinite loop. This disrupts the availability of the affected software but does not indicate code execution or data compromise.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, consider restricting access to Nmap services or monitoring for malformed packets that could trigger this condition.
CVE-2026-72712: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop') in Nmap Project Nmap
Description
Nmap versions up to and including 7.99 contains a denial of service vulnerability that allows remote attackers to crash the application by sending a crafted packet containing a zero-length TCP option. The malformed packet forces the Packet:parse_options() function in nselib/packet.lua to allocate objects in an infinite loop, causing an out-of-memory condition that results in application crash.
CVSS v4.0
Score 6.9medium
Affected software
Nmap Project
Nmap
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AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-72712 is a denial of service vulnerability in Nmap up to version 7.99. Remote attackers can send a specially crafted packet containing a zero-length TCP option that causes the Packet:parse_options() function in nselib/packet.lua to enter an infinite loop allocating objects. This results in an out-of-memory condition and crashes the application. The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction but can be triggered remotely over the network.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation results in denial of service by crashing the Nmap application due to resource exhaustion from an infinite loop. This disrupts the availability of the affected software but does not indicate code execution or data compromise.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, consider restricting access to Nmap services or monitoring for malformed packets that could trigger this condition.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- VulnCheck
- Date Reserved
- 2026-08-10T13:02:52.001Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a7b6291bf8831d5392313d7
Added to database: 08/11/2026, 17:57:37 UTC
Last enriched: 08/11/2026, 18:17:51 UTC
Last updated: 09/25/2026, 13:57:12 UTC
Views: 93
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